Richard Ayoade to host BAFTA TV Awards on new July date

Initially planned to take place in the spring, the television BAFTAs had to be postponed due to the escalating coronavirus crisis that sent the United Kingdom into lockdown.

The event will now go forward Friday 31st July, broadcast live that evening on BBC One as usual - but with one major difference.

In order to keep the show safe for all involved, the nominees will not attend the ceremony in person. Instead, winners will accept their awards virtually by calling in to the event - a popular strategy that has been used many times over the years by those with particularly packed schedules.

Richard Ayoade said: "I am as surprised as you are that this is still going ahead."

There will be one category at this year's awards which is open to public vote, Virgin Media's Must See Moment, for which the nominees will be revealed on Wednesday 3rd June at 8am (BST).

The rest of this year's winners will be decided by BAFTA, with nominations due to be announced on Thursday 4th June at 7:30am (BST).

BAFTA's separate Television Craft Awards will also be held this summer on Friday 17th June, set to be broadcast live across the organisation's social media channels, hosted by Stephen Mangan (The Split).

Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive at BAFTA, said: "We are delighted to confirm the new dates and formats for both the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards and the British Academy Television Craft Awards this year. We want to celebrate and reward the talented individuals who make up the television industry, both behind and in-front of the camera, many of whom have continued to entertain and inform the nation in recent weeks.

"I am thrilled that Richard Ayoade will be hosting the Television Awards for the first time, with Stephen Mangan joining us for a ninth time to host the Television Craft Awards, with them at the helm both events are set to be great entertainment. Following the success of the online British Academy Games Awards in March, we are proud to be delivering a further two Awards shows during this difficult time."

Ayoade won a BAFTA in 2014 for his performance in Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd, which is available to stream on Netflix and All 4.

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